Osaka February 13, 2010
Posted by Jojo in Food and Drink.Tags: Black Boss, Kirin, osaka, Pucca
trackback
After the most brutal eleven-hour flight of all time, the oki-yo crew landed in Osaka jet-lagged and plane sick. Since our flight to Okinawa left early the next morning, Elisa and her parents opted to pass out right away in the Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport, but Allan (Elisa’s brother), my parents, and I decided to take the express train to the Namba district for a little sensory overload before hitting the sack.
Allan poses with a box of Pucca brand chocolate fish in front of the express train.
Here I am enjoying some Black Boss espresso, which I procured from a vending machine on the train.
We wandered into a friendly soba / Chinese noodle place to nourish ourselves with soup, pork, fish cakes, and draft beer.
From left to right: Allan, Jojo, and Hal– Kirin in tow.
Unfortunately the last express train back to the airport was at 22:00 hours, so our night in Osaka ended rather quickly and we headed back to Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport. Needless to say, everyone slept well that night.
oki yo! 
mmmmm, rooks dericious~
That was a broken law?
underage Kirin
yay allan lives :DDDD
check this out…osaka, japan plus trains
On the late morning of March 10, an incredible event occurred on the opposite side of the world. It all began with three 14-year-old kids, two boys and a girl, playing around on the side of the crowded streets of Osaka, Japan. The carefree adolescents were giggling and lightheartedly pushing and shoving each other on their way to downtown.
When they reached the train station they paid no mind to the disapproving looks they received from awaiting train riders and tourists in the loading area. The three didn’t stop their almost mischievous behavior as the rapidly approaching train was now in sight. Not knowing his own strength, the tallest boy thrust himself into the other boy who nudged the petite girl just enough that she couldn’t regain her balance. Instinctually, she grabbed her friend’s shirt as they both unwillingly jumped onto the magnetic rails of the bullet train nearly two meters below the station’s platform.
As if captured from a scene in a movie, one of the world’s fastest trains was only seconds away. In horror, the fallen boy scrambled to get out and the crowd cried as the train was only a few short meters from disaster. People were panicking as the boy’s left arm was being pulled up by two men as if he was a stuffed animal. The young girl still lay still. For her, it was too late.
In an instant, the train had arrived to the station as it had thousands of times before. But this time it was different. The first train car was unhinged from the rail and had veered off to the right at a 45-degree angle. The crowd became silent as they held their breath. Only about 15 centimeters (6 inches) separated the young teen from her deplorable death. The girl was carried away with only a twisted ankle, some bruises, and a broken smile.
Strangely enough, investigators found that there were no other similar accidents ever reported within that railway system and the train conductor could not have possibly braked in time. It was believed that an object disrupted the train’s path.
In all of the hysteria just before the train was stopped, many people had thrown objects such as garbage cans, purses, belts, and even newspapers onto the rail. However, only one of the items was the source that challenged the powerful train. An innocent left-sided flip-flop sandal adhered to the track at the point where the train derailed. Nearly unidentifiable, the only thing that was recognizable on the object was a “Rider” logo that matched a right-sided sandal found below the platform.
As the train passengers were being escorted off the vehicle, local reporters interviewed a barefooted US tourist on site who made light of the situation and with a warm grin said, “They were indeed my Rider sandals that were found under the train but it’s okay, I was going to buy another pair anyway.”
That is a truly horrifying and miraculous story. Thank god for tourists, yeah? And thank you for sharing.